HAYDN – La Passione Symphonies 41, 49, 44

This is a world premier recording of Symphony 41 with the composer’s originally intended instrumentation.
“From the very first rehearsal,” says British conductor Gary Cooper, well-known as one of the foremost ambassadors of the harpsichord and fortepiano, “I knew this recording would be a special one. In attempting to re-create something much closer to the sound world Haydn would have known at Esterháza, by using the modest forces he would have had at his disposal, I feel Arion have more than risen to the challenge! With such spirit, musicianship, flair and energy, they have brought these wonderful, dramatic symphonies back to life for me — but in such a new and refreshing way. You can hear they love every note of this music!”

GARY COOPER, Guest conductor

Gary Cooper is now established as one of the foremost ambassadors of the harpsichord and fortepiano – in particular, as an interpreter of Bach’s & Mozart’s keyboard music – and as a director of period performance in concert, and in opera. Along with performances worldwide, he has made many recordings for TV, radio and CD, including an award-winning CD of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier.

Adding to an extensive discography, solo recording projects range from Bach’s complete Keyboard Concerti and the Goldberg Variations, to Mozart’s and Haydn’s Piano Variations and Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations & late Bagatelles, all on original keyboards of the period.

The Duo partnership of Gary Cooper and Rachel Podger has taken them worldwide. Their recordings of Mozart’s Complete Sonatas for Keyboard & Violin has received countless awards and accolades, including multiple Diapason d’Or awards and Gramophone Editor’s Choices, and hailed as ‘benchmark’ recordings. Their partnership also extends to orchestral projects, including the launch concert of a new international period instrument ensemble, ensembleF2.

Gary is also an established conductor, having worked with many ensembles. Recent operas include Handel’s Alcina, Orlando and Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Seraglio. He directs the Akademie für Alte Musik in Berlin, recently to great acclaim at the 2007 Potsdam Festival, where he returns in 2009; also the Irish Baroque Orchestra and the Hanover Band.
He performs regularly in North America where he directs the leading Canadian period instrument orchestra, Arion.

Gary appears at major festivals such as the Flanders Festival, the Bruges, Utrecht, Potsdam and Innsbruck Early Music Festivals and throughout the UK.

Gary currently teaches harpsichord & fortepiano at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Birmingham Conservatoire, is visiting professor of fortepiano at the Royal College of Music and regularly visits other conservatoires such as McGill University in Montreal.

Arion Baroque Orchestra

Arion is a Montreal-based baroque orchestra performing on period instruments. The ensemble was founded in 1981 by flautist Claire Guimond, violinist Chantal Rémillard, gambist Betsy MacMillan and harpsichordist Hank Knox. Claire Guimond has been Arion’s artistic director ever since its first concerts.

From the outset, Arion’s concerts were unanimously hailed for their clarity and gusto as well as their refined and expressive performances, chosen from a vast array of early music works. A meticulous attention to detail has placed Arion’s artistic achievements amongst those of the greatest current early music ensembles.

The orchestra calls upon world-renowned guest conductors to perform vocal and instrumental works in its high-profile series of concerts in Montreal. They include Barthold Kuijken, Monica Huggett, Jaap ter Linden, Daniel Cuiller and Elizabeth Wallfisch.

A recipient of numerous awards and grants, Arion has toured extensively throughout Canada, Europe, Mexico and the United States. The autumn of 2006 was also the occasion for Arion to tour Japan in its first Asian tour.

Arion’s discography features 25 CDs, distributed internationally both as a quartet and in a orchestra.

Arion is a member of early-music.com, a web-site committed to the promotion of some of the world’s finest early music artists.